SEA Games kicks off as first-time host Cambodia wows with extravagant opening ceremony
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – Cambodia waited for decades to get another crack at hosting the Southeast Asian Games and it did not disappoint when it got its chance.
Sixty years since its aborted SEA Games hosting due to political unrest, Cambodia put together an opening ceremony to remember at the Morodok Techo National Stadium here on Friday, May 5.
Thousands in attendance, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, were treated to a night of spectacle as the two-hour extravaganza featured performances that focused on local traditions and depicted daily life in Cambodia.
Performers who represented fishermen and farmers were given a share of the limelight in a country that banks on agriculture as one of its most important sectors.
Massive LED boards on the background flashed Cambodia’s most popular landmarks, including the Angkor Wat, the Royal Palace, and the Silver Pagoda.
Cambodia pulled out all the stops in its first-ever hosting of the SEA Games, constructing the Morodok Techo National Stadium that cost over $160 million specifically to serve as the main venue for the biennial meet.
The 75,000-seater venue, which broke ground in 2017 and opened in 2021, is a stadium built in the shape of a sailing boat with two sharp structures that reach almost 100 meters in height.
Volleyball star Alyssa Valdez served as the Philippines’ SEA Games flag bearer for the second time, leading an all-female athlete cast in the parade of nations.
“I’m very overwhelmed,” said Valdez, who reprised her role in the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore. “I know for a fact that there a lot of empowered women that I’m here with and I’m just really inspired to share this with them.”
Joining Valdez in the parade of nations included basketball hotshot Jack Animam, swimming ace Chloe Isleta, billiards veteran Rubilen Amit, football standout Sarina Bolden, and golf prodigy Rianne Malixi.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Team Philippines chef de mission Chito Loyzaga were the only males in the Philippines’ 50-strong opening ceremony delegation.
From start to finish, the country put on a show as Cambodian taekwondo star Sorn Seavmey – lifted mid-air through a harness – lit the torch, marking the official start of the SEA Games.
Cambodia then delivered a fitting end to the opening ceremony with a two-minute fireworks display.
After finishing fourth overall in the Vietnam SEA Games last year with 52 golds, 70 silvers, and 104 bronzes, Team Philippines seeks a better in Cambodia, where nearly 600 gold medals are up for grabs.
There are 584 events spread across 36 sports to be contended by the 11 participating nations, including defending champion Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, East Timor, Laos, and Myanmar. – Rappler.com